Power-transmitting device.



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Patented Apr. 12, 1910.

A. W. WHITCOMB. POWER TRANSMITTING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED mm 20,1909. 954,66 1

' which is operated by a ,reciprocatin UNITED STAIES IPA TENT OFFICE.

ALONZO W. WHI'ICOMB, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO WHITCOMB:BLAISDELL MACHINE TOOL COMPANY, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A 00RPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

POWER-TRANSMITTIN G DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 28, 1909.

Patented Apr. 12, 1910. Serial No. 505,047.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALONZO W. Wnrr- 00MB, a citizen of the United Statesresiding at Worcester, in the county of for, State of Massachusetts,have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Power-TransmittinDevices, of which the following is a s eeification, reference being hadtherein to the accompanying drawin s.

This invention relates to devices for t e transmission of power, butmore particularly to clutches, and is an improvement u on the deviceshown and described in S. Letters Patent, No. 893,684 of July 21 1908.Clutches of this type have heretofore operated successfully on low ormoderate speed mechanisms but, when driven at a high rate of s eed, theaction of centrifugal force cause suificient movement of the workingparts to bring the friction members into en agement. To overcome thisdiliiculty, a c utch has been devised in which the parts 0 crating thefriction ring are so constructe and arranged that accidental expansionof this ring is impossible at any speed.

One feature is a lever for operating the friction ring, which is rovidedwith means for overcoming the in uence of centrifugal force. This-isaccomplished by extending the lever about the axis of rotation of themember upoli which the lever is carried to balance masses.

A second feature is the means of connectin the lever to the frictionring, whereby a lig1t pressure upon the extremity of the lever exerts aheavy pressure upon the friction ring.

Another feature is the means for operating the lever. This device ishere shown as a all restin in a c lindrical aperture or socket in the ubof t e pulley or gear, ang

ro sliding wit in "the shaft upon whici the pulley or gear is mounted. Acylinder or other form of body might be adoptedinstead of this ball,though the ball is pref not jam against the sides arable as it will ofthe socket or aperture and prevent release ofthe clutch.

One embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawin in which Fi ure 1is an en view of the invention comp ete. Fig. 2, a section on line 22 oforces-' In the drawings, a driving shaft 10 is mounted in a bearm 11,and upon this shaft is fastened the disfi wheel 12. This disk wheelinight be replaced by a ulley wheel or gear if desired. To this disk wheel12 is pivoted one extremity 13 of the friction ring 14 by means of thepivot in 15, and upon this pin is also pivoted tl fe lever 16. The otherextremity 17 of the! friction ring 14 is connected to the lever 16 bymeans of the link 18, one extremity of this link being pivoted upon thepin 19 and the other upon the pin 20. Theinside surface 21 of the lever16 is provided with an inwardly extending or locking portion 22. I

The shaft 23 is rovided with a bearing 24, this shaft pre crably havingthe same axis as the she t 10. Upon this shaft 23 is fastened the pulleywheel 25 provided with a hub 26. A gear mi ht be used in place of thispulley-wheel i desired. An aperture 27, preferably cylindrical, passesthrough the hub 26 and the shaft 24. In this aperture is seated a body28, preferably spherical, which rests upon the reciprocating rod 29within the shaft 23. This rod is provided with a notch 30 in whichthespherical body drops when the rod 29 is pushed forward. This notch isprovided with beveled sides for reasons which will be hereinafterstated. A set screw 31 passes through the hub 26 and the shaft 23 andenters a recess 32 in the rod 29 to limit the movement of this rod. Inthe hub and opening into the cylindrical aperture 27 is a recess 33 inwhich is a sprin' controlled pin 34 to prevent the spherica body 28moving too freely in the aperture.

The rod 29 is here shown provided with a hand piece 35 by means of whichit may be reciprocated within the shaft 23, though it should be clearlyunderstood that an other suitable means of performing this might beterweighted to offset the weight 0 the parts c'arrie by the pivot pin15; The'method of o eration ofthe' clutchis as follows ,--The s aft 1Ovdrives the wheel 12 which carries with it the friction ring and thelever with the parts connecting these two. Pull the rod 29 outward. Thespherical body 28 slides upward on the beveled surface 36 of the notch30, until this body rests on the flat portion 37 of the rod, and is inosition shown in Fig. 1. As the disk wheel l2 revolves, the lever passesover the s herical body until the ortion 22 of the f drmer is reachedwhen t e latter comes in contact with it and swings the lever upward andto the right. The link 18 causesthe friction rin to ex and against thefriction surface of tie pul ey wheel 25. This lever should preferably beso constructed that the spherical body 28 cannot ass beneath theinwardly extending or 100 in portion 22 when the clutch is in the loc edposition,

and it is advisable to make this locking portion of sufficient size totake up the wear. It may be readily seen that an increase in the load onthe pulley 25 causes a roportional increase in the pressure of t espherical body on the lever, and locks the friction parts more firmlytogether.

The lever 16, instead of encirclin the axis of rotation of the diskwheel or ot er members upon which it is carried in the form of a ring,might be extended in any manner about this axis to balance masses andovercome the action of centrifugal force, and it might also be attachedthe clutch in any other suitable manner. The ring has an advanta e overany other type of ever in that it absolutely revents t e escape of theball or the aperture.

It should be clearly understood that the clutch herein shown anddescribed is ca able of a great munber of modifications withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentis 1. In a device of 'the class described, the

combination with a driving and a driven element, of a friction clutch,com rising a friction member carried by each of said elements, and meansfor securing said .elements to ether, comprising a .lever carried by one0 said elements and adapted to 0 erate one of the friction members, saidI ver being extended about the axis of rotation of t e element uponwhich it is carried to balance masses and overcome the influs ence ofcentrifugal force, and a device carried by the other ating said lever.

2. n a device of the classi described, the combination with a drivingand a driven element, of a friction clutch, com rising a friction membercarried by each 0 said elements, and means for securing said elementstogether, comprising mounted upon one of said nected to of said elementsfor operelements and conone ofthe friction members, said to the membersof.

other he y from and means for causing said bod friction member carried alever pivotallyv lever being extended about the axis of rotation of theelement upon which it is carried to balance masses and overcome theinfluence of centrifugal force, and a device car ried by the other ofsaid elements for operating said lever. r

In a device of the class described, the combination with a drivin and adriven element,v of a friction clutc com rising a friction membercarried by each 0 said elements, and means for securing said elementstogether, comprising a lever pivotally connected to one of said elementsand one of said friction members to form a tog lejoint to operate thisfriction member, an means carried by the other of said elements foroperating said lever.

4.In a device of the class described, the combination with a drivin anda driven element, of a friction clu comprising a friction member carriedby'each of said elements, and means for securing said elements together,comprising means one of said friction members, and a device forcontrolling said 0 crating means comprising a spherical bod seated in anaperture in one of saidelements, and means for causing said body to beadvanced to engage said 0 eratingmeans.

5. Iii a device of the class dwcribedythe combination with a drivin anda driven element, of a friction clutcfi, com rising a friction membercarried by each 0 said elements, and means for securing said elementstogether, comprising means carried biy one of said elements foroperating one 0 said friction members, and a device carried by the otherelement for controlling said 0 f erating means, comprisin a body seatedin an aperture in said ot er element, and means for causing said body tobe advanced into engagement with said operating means. 6. In a device ofthe class descrlbed, the

combination with. a drivin and a driven element, of a-friction clutc comrising a friction member carried by each 0 said elements, and means forsecuring said elements together, comprising means carried 1) one of saidelements for operating one of said friction members, and a devicecarried by the other element fcncontrolling said 0 erating means,comprising a sphericaltbo y seated in an aperturein said other element,vanced into engagement with sai operating means.

7."In adeviee of the class described, the combination with a drivin anda driven element, ofa friction clutch, com rising at by each 0 saidelements, and means for securing said elements together, comprisingmeans carried b of said elements for operating one 0 saidfriction-members, and a devicecarried by the other element forcontrolling said opfor operating comprising a ball seated in a clindrical aperture in said other element, an means for causing said ballto be advanced into and retained in engagement with said 0 cratingmeans.

8. In a evice of the class described, .the combination with a drivingand a driven element, of a friction clutch, comprising a friction membercarried by each of said elements, and means for securing said elementstogether, comprising means carried by one of said elements for operatingone of said friction members, and a device carried by the other elementfor controlling said operating means,

crating means, comprising a ball seated in a cylindrical aperturepassing through the hub and shaft of said other element, and areciprocating rod within this shaft provided with means for advancingsaid ball into and retaining it in engagement with said operating means.

n testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALONZO WV. VVHITCOMB.

Witnesses:

HARTLEY W. Ban'rnn'rr, ALMA H. NEILsoN.

